Lady&#39;s handbag having upper and lower compartments and a removable drawer in the lower compartment



March 8, 1949. MEYERS 2!463993 LADYS HANDBAG HAVING UPPER AND LowERCOMPARTMENTS AND A REMOVABLE DRAWER IN THE LOWER COMPARTMENT Filed Nov.9, 1946 INVENTOR. Henry Meye w" 1 ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 8, 1949 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE LADYS HANDBAG HAVING UPPER AND LOWER COMPARTMENTSAND A REMOV- ABLE DRAWER IN THE LOWER COMPART- MENT 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a ladys handbag having upper and lowercompartments and a removable drawer in the lower compartment. It relatesbroadly to portable carrying bags and, more particularly, to ladieshandbags, although the invention may be easily applied to a largevariety of traveling bags, suitcases, and the like.

'It is a general object of my invention to provide a handbag having anupper and lower compartment arranged in such a manner as to beindividually and separately accessible, the lower compartment beingadapted to receive a receptacle or drawer for holding special articlesto which immediate and easy access is afforded, particularly sucharticles of greater bulk as cannot conveniently be held in the uppercompartment and which normally, because of their bulk, would work theirway to the bottom of a conventional handbag, thereby eliminating thenecessity for searching and fumbling through a large assortment ofarticles and the attendant inconvenience and loss of time arising fromthe inherent limitations of previously available handbags ofconventional construction.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a handbag of thecharacter indicated which will be durable, which can be easily andeconomically fabricated and which will present continuity of design inexternal appearance.

The above objects as well as additional objects and advantages willreadily appear from the following description taken in connection withthe accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away and in section toshow internal structure, of a handbag embodying the features of myinvention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the handbag showing one of the endcover-flaps which afford access to the drawer in the lower compartmentof the handbag in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the handbag showing both end cover-flapsfor the lower compartment in closed position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1showing the disposition of the drawer within the lower compartment ofthe handbag.

To illustrate a typical application of my invention, I have indicated inthe accompanying drawing a ladys handbag fabricated of any suitablematerial, such as leather, fabric or the like, and having a bodycomprising a bottom wall I0, side walls II, and end walls I2 and I3. Thehandbag may be opened and closed at the top by means of a pair of hingedframe members I4 appropriately secured to the top ends of the side wallsII and to the end walls I2 and I3 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or by meansof any other conventional arrangement, such as a slide fastener means.Handles I5 may be provided for carrying the handbag.

The handbag has suitably secured therein a partition I6 of fiberboard,cardboard or any other suitable material, said partition being disposedbetween the side walls II at a spaced distance from bottom wall ID todefine an upper compartment I1 and a lower compartment I8. Partition I6is preferably covered with the same material with which uppercompartment I I is lined.

Lower compartment I8 is preferably provided along its sides and bottomwith inner reinforcing layers I9, to impart shape and rigidity thereto.Reinforcing layers I9 may be of the same material as partition l6, ifdesired, and may be secured to the sides and bottom of lower compartmentI8 by stitching, adhesive, or in any other suitable manner. The topedges of the reinforcing layers I9 along the sides of lower compartmentI8 serve additionally as a strengthening foundation for partition IS.

A receptacle or drawer 20 of relatively rigid material and having abottom wall 2I, side walls 22 and end walls 23 is adapted to be receivedwithin the lower compartment I8. The bottom portion of each of the endwalls I2 and I3 of the handbag extending downwardly from the region ofpartition I6 is free of engagement with the corresponding portions ofside walls II and bottom wall II], thereby providing a cover flap I2 andI3 at each end of lower compartment I8. Thus, it is apparent that thedrawer 20 may be entered into or withdrawn from lower compartment I8 ateither end thereof. Fig. 1 shows in dot-and-dash outline drawer 20partly withdrawn from lower compartment I8 to allow access to thearticles held therein with cover flap I2 in raised position and alsoillustrated in dot-anddash outline.

In order to retain cover flaps I2 and I3 in closed position and preventdislodgment of drawer 20 from lower compartment I8, each of said coverflaps and each of theend walls 23 of drawer 20 is provided with acooperating pair of fastening elements 24 and 24a.

Of course, any other suitable means may be employed to retain the coverflaps I2 and I3 in closed position. One such alternative arrangementcontemplates the use of a cooperating pair of conventional slidefastener tapes, one of which might be secured around the peripheraledges of cover flaps l2 and I3, the other fastener tape being secured tothe corresponding portions of side walls H and bottom wall ill at eachend of compartment I8.

Also, if desired, compartment [8 might have but one openeendrand-*onecover flap; either end wall IZLOIKIQII'OfZthG handbag-' oppositethisolien end being permanently secured to the respective side walls llof the handbag for the full length .110, body below said partition, adrawer removably of said end wall from thentop ofthehandba to the bottomwall 10. Inithislcase,"avpullf tab (not shown) could easilybeafiixedxtoithegend wall of drawer 20 adjacent'its cover "flapforwithdrawing said drawer from the compartment l8.

In the modification of theoinventionillustrated in the drawings,however, withdrawal of 'drawer 20 may be easily effected by raising both-of-the cover flaps l2 and I3 from their closed positions and thenpushing sgdrawer- (2 0 slightly sout- .wrardl-ywfrom' compartment1-l-B;at one Tend. thereof, rafterwwhich said; drawerwma y :be withdrawnfiurther from said s-icompartment to :any ;desired *zextent.

":To; achieve :a;-g ood visual tefiect, I, it might be considereddesirable to cover partition |'-6,. reszinforcing ilayersl9 ';of.-1ower'compartment I8, drawer-Ml and? zthewinsides@of coverz flaps}! 2 hand RHwith thesamesmaterial which forms the linx in :of upper compartment 4 l.

gsincei certain additional modificationssrnay be #zmadeiin the articleof myi invention; Withouthdeimparting from the scope wthereof, it isintended that all :matter :conta-i-ned win the.ioregoingdescrliptions-and shown g-in Fthe aocompanying:draweingw'berinterpreted mnerelyaas illustrative zandlnot win a:limiting sense.

insertable within said second compartment, through theopen ends of saidbody, flaps integral '.,w', ith 1- the cend walls of said body whichextend across the open erfds of said body and overlie the 15corresponding end walls of the drawer, and

irseparab'leifastening elements secured to said end flaps and to the endwalls of said drawer for releasably'attaching' said cover flaps to saidend wailsjof the drawer for holding said drawer in 2 place in saidsecond compartment.

UNITED STATES PATENTS

